Renault adds that in real-world driving, the battery will do 186 miles in everyday conditions, and even stretch to 124 miles when it’s extremely cold.

The new battery also offers quick-charge functionality. Renault bundles each Zoe with a free fast-charging wall box, capable of charging a battery from flat to 100% full in less than four hours.

Renault’s curious battery lease scheme has been further tweaked for the 2017 Zoe, with the newer, more straightforward and less divisive outright purchase scheme sitting alongside it. Drivers who cover up to 4,500 miles a year can lease a 22kW battery for £49 a month or the Z.E.40 battery for £59 a month. Other options are available, including an unlimited mileage scheme for the Z.E.40, costing £110 a month.

The new 2017 Zoe range starts at £18,995 for the iExpression Nav R90 22kW, once the government Plug-in Car Grant has been taken off. That’s if you buy the batteries: lease them, and the price falls to £13,995 (lease cars lose the ‘i’ at the start of their name).

The Z.E.40 battery starts at £23,445, or £17,845 if you’re happy to lease the batteries.

How to spot a 2017 Renault Zoe

The new 2017 Zoe looks very similar to the outgoing model. There are three new colours, tweaked alloy wheels and instead of having a blue Renault logo and badging, it’s now chrome.